Why the students of Assam University, Diphu Campus are on Strike?

Assam University Diphu Campus (AUDC), located 8th Km from the heart of Diphu Town, spread at 273 bighas with 10 academic departments. It offers Post Graduate degree up to the research level of M Phil and PhD. It is the only annexe campus of the Assam University, Silchar, and the only Campus in the Karbi Anglong, a hill-district of Assam. As such, the University campus offers the scope, apart from the students coming from other districts of Assam, to all the people living in Karbi Anglong, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or any other differences, to pursue higher education. However, despite almost a decade since its establishment in 2007, there has been negligible development of the campus in many crucial areas. Time and again, students have been brought to the edge of their patience and have attempted to raise their voices against the administration’s indifference to their grievances. Although a ‘central university’, in no way does the campus qualify as one. Some of the most immediate problems that the students have been facing for years have been highlighted as follows:

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NO PERMANENT FACULTY- The Campus has 10 departments, most of it are run without the actual number of faculty needed to run a department. Particularly in the department of Geography with only 2 permanent faculty needed to look after a total of 60 students.

IMPROPER ROAD NETWORK- The roads are in a pathetic condition within the campus; no proper road connectivity can be seen within the campus to connect the departments.

NO HOSTEL FACILITY- No Hostels for the students or the staff has been constructed, leaving many of the students to stay in Private hostels, thus paying huge fees.

NO PERMANENT BUILDINGS- Permanent building for holding the classes have not been constructed. The buildings for most of the departments are actually a Lower Primary (L.P) school-type building.

POOR MEDICAL FACILITY: One doctor has been appointed without any nurse; the condition of the medical centre also speaks of the general dilapidation of buildings.

NO PERMANENT PRO-VICE CHANCELLOR- The campus does not have permanent PVC, hence it is run without a proper and responsible authority. Besides, other officials like Dy. Registrar, Asst. Registrar are also unavailable.

Besides, there are many sufferings of the students in the campus which makes it to a long list of inconveniences. Nilkamal Boro, student of the department of Geography, says:

We have improper Laboratory in our department, most of the time due to electrical cut-off we have to switch on our phone’s flashlight to trace maps in our practical. Actually we don’t even have the map of India or Assam in the practical room.

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Rahul Kalita, student from the Department of Hindi, adds:

Our department have only three (3) faculty, and our courses are not finished on time.

A senior student airs his disappointmen

t: The campus lags behind most of the basic amenities that a modern education system should have. This has been happening due to the continued negligence of the administration of the main campus towards us since the early years. We shall leave the campus in few months after the end of our semester exams, but we want our juniors to study in a fully developed campus.

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Strike and demonstrations against these issues have been staged in the recent years, but no positive outcome has emerged. However this time, students have come up with the issues with strength and determination. A strike by the students led by the Students Union of the campus has been observed with full force and dedication. The students have refused to attend classes until the Vice-Chancellor of the University personally visits the campus and takes cognisance of their grievances and takes immediate action to redress the same. The focus of the media has also been drawn this time by the agitation.

One Comment

This university was established after a long struggle by the hill people of Assam. It was supposed to be established with headquarter (main campus) in Diphu. But the rulers of the day changed it to Silchar. The demands of the students are really genuine. The same set of parties are ruling the Autonomous Council, State Govt., and the Centre. But no one from the ruling dispensation is taking interest. A greater mobilisation with preparation for long struggle might be the only way to resolve the issues.—HRT

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